


Knight and King

by soinguk (gaksital)



Category: VIXX
Genre: Because I was watching Game of Thrones, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-13
Updated: 2014-04-13
Packaged: 2018-01-19 04:03:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1454695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaksital/pseuds/soinguk





	Knight and King

Hakyeon never enjoyed the sound of steel swords on armor.

Too often, the sound is accompanied by the smell of blood, fire,  and horses, the sounds--the screams--of dying men, and the feeling that Death was everywhere. Later would come the silence; the true silence of the dead. As King, he had visited many scenes such as those. He had walked on bloody fields years ago, stepped over the dead and dying, attempted to not look at their faces, afraid he would see someone he knew, or afraid that he would watch the life fade away from someone's eyes.

He had seen it once before. For one reason or another, Hakyeon had thought that it would be something terrible to watch; as though the dying would have some type of violent reaction right before they died. Instead, it was even more frightening. In their last breath, they relaxed entirely; they looked happy. It scared Hakyeon more than if they had attacked him in their last moments.

He remembered slipping on something, forcing him to look down, only to discover that he had slipped on a piece of bloody flesh. Someone was missing a very significant amount of their arm.

Hakyeon brought himself out of the memory before he vomited, just as he had done at the time. The light of the day blinded him briefly; he hadn't realized he had closed his eyes. His bearings returned, and the arena came back into focus. Instead of watching the parley occurring in front of him, Hakyeon looked beyond it. From his position, high up, above the rest of the city population, Hakyeon watched the city. He remembered the time he was first brought to the palace, when his father won the throne from Gowon. At the time, he thought he would never see anything more beautiful, nor anything more wonderful. Now, he wished his father had never won the war. Being King should mean that he had the best life of everyone else--he had more money, more power, more people to answer to every demand he made, no matter how crazy, but now he was convinced that the commoners had the better lives. They were free to wander about where they wanted, say what they wanted, when they wanted, and, for the most part, they could form relationships with whoever they wanted.

Hakyeon had no such freedom. 

A bellowing cheer came from below his seat, and Hakyeon refocused on the arena. One of the dueling knights had fallen to the other. He had missed the initial spurt of blood, but more was falling to the ground, coming from under the man's arm, where his armor was weak. His opponent had struck forcefully enough that the armor on the fallen knight's arm had actually twisted around, leaving his forearm exposed.  People were calling for the victor to remove the arm--or the head, Hakyeon couldn't tell which--of the knight and end the duel even more bloodily. Unthinkingly, he flicked his wrist and two of his guardsmen were on the fallen knight immediately. Hakyeon did not move his face, and he tried desperately to keep himself from thinking about what was going to happen to the knight once he was away from the arena. His men would do what they could for him, but even if he didn't succumb to his wounds, he would never set foot in this kingdom again. He would never see whatever family he had in this kingdom again. He would be sent far away from here, without saying his farewells. That is, if he survived.

After the fallen knight was gone, and the victorious one had reveled in the cheers from the population enough, he left, arm around a woman that Hakyeon knew was going to be screaming his praises through the night.

"And he was just the the second place winner," Taekwoon hissed under his breath, so only Hakyeon could hear. Taekwoon was known for speaking through his teeth. According to some of his sources, Hakyeon was aware that his people feared Taekwoon, saying he could speak to people without opening his mouth. Hakyeon's mouth twitched upward in a quick smile at Taekwoon's words. There was still one more duel to sit through: the prize match; the match that is fought to the death. The one Hakyeon hated the most.

As the two knights walked into the arena, they were each met with their share of cheers and jeers. Kang Shiro, the defending champion, strutted into the arena, waving heartily to the crowd. 

"He's won the crowd," Taekwoon chuckled slightly. "He'll probably win the duel too."

Hakyeon did not reply; he clenched his teeth. He didn't need to think about what "winning" meant.

The other knight followed Kang in, to significantly more jeers. Lee Hongbin was slighter than Kang Shiro. Even though Lee was tall compared to most, Kang was even taller. 

The odds were against Lee Hongbin in this fight.

As the knights readied themselves, the crowd quieted. Hakyeon could hear the rattling of the knights' armor, hear them unsheathing their swords, saying their final words to their stewards, who helped secure the final bits of their protection. By the time this duel would be over, one of those suits of armor would be pierced with holes and colored with blood and dirt.

The arena grew very still just before the horn sounded. Hakyeon took a breath in, and let the breath out. When his lungs were empty, the horn sounded, and the two knights collided.

Kang Shiro wasted no time in throwing Lee Hongbin to the ground. Hakyeon was sure that this was going to end quickly. Kang Shiro's sword was flying down towards Lee Hongbin's head. At what seemed like just after the last possible second, Lee Hongbin brought his sword up above his head and blocked the blow. Because of his timing, Kang Shiro had felt assured that victory was at hand, and he had relaxed. So, when his sword met Hongbin's, the parry knocked him off his stance. He stumbled, giving time for Lee Hongbin to scramble back to his feet. 

Using the other man's weight against him, Lee Hongbin had enough time to resettle himself. When Kang Shiro recovered, he was furious, Hakyeon could tell that from his balcony. 

However, his anger made him an easier target for Lee Hongbin. He may be slighter and smaller, but he was quicker. Lee Hongbin dodged a number of Kang Shiro's advances, teasing the larger knight by allowing him close enough to taste victory, only to slither away from the man at the last second. Hakyeon felt he could see the smile on Lee Hongbin's face, even if the knight's face was hidden by his helmet.

A few advances later, and Kang Shiro was slowing down.

"He shouldn't have had that last cup of wine last night," Taekwoon said. "Or maybe he should have simply never had a bit of wine. Maybe he wouldn't tire so easily."

Just as Taekwoon finished speaking, the crowd gasped together.

 

* * *

 

"I was sure he had me," Lee Hongbin said that night, over the feasting table. "But I heard him groaning before we walked into the arena, and knew he had had a long night of celebrating his upcoming victory. I knew all I had to do was tire him out."

Everyone was laughing. "The way you ended ti though was brilliant," a young lord, Jaehwan was his name, Hakyeon remembered, called out. "Sword straight through the top of his head! His fat brain everywhere"

"I was aiming for his neck!" Hongbin cried excitedly.

The table laughed again. Even Hakyeon chuckled a little in order to appease the crowd. He still hated that a man died today; a man whose family Hakyeon had to visit after his demise and give them the consolation offering of a cottage and small farm on the edge of the kingdom. They had lived well while Kang Shiro was the best knight in the kingdom. The wife was dressed in silks, was plump and had four chubby children, from ages seven to ten months, and from the look of things, she would give birth to another in five months or so, the only one to never know their father. Now, they wwould be forced to live far from their former lives of luxury. The children had cried, even though they had no idea what was happening, and the woman had looked murderous.

"Tell that Lee Hongbin," she had spat, "That my oldest boy will be after him as soon as he's old enough. If that man dies before my son's old enough to avenge his father, he will find all of his living relatives and make them beg for mercy."

The memory made Hakyeon feel sick. Suddenly, the feast in front of him no longer looked as appealing as it had ten minutes ago.

Hakyeon stood, silencing the table. He had forgotten his position for a second. "Please, continue the feast," he said calmly, but loudly. "I am tired from the day's festivities, so pardon me." He bowed slightly to the party, turned, and left.

Hakyeon made it to his bedchambers, and had only started to undress when there was a knock at the door. Before he could answer or throw a shirt back on, the door opened itself, and Lee Hongbin came in.

"Pardon me, Your Grace," he said.

Hakyeon smiled, reaching for his discarded shirt. "You aren't sorry."

Hongbin took a few, slow steps towards Hakyeon. "No, I'm not."

As soon as he was close enough, Hongbin grabbed Hakyeon and pushed his lips onto Hakyeon's. 

Hakyeon dropped the shirt and his hands found themselves in Hongbin's hair. Hakyeon forgot he was a king and allowed Hongbin to push him to the bed. The collapsed onto the bed, not breaking the kiss. Hakyeon's hands slid down Hongbin's body until he found the hem of the silk shirt Hongbin was wearing and started pulling it up. Hongbin, realizing what Hakyeon wanted, released Hakyeon's lips and stood in order to take off his shirt.

Once it was off, Hongbin leaned back down, looking for Hakyeon's body. However, something caught Hakyeon's eye and he pushed the knight away. "Hongbin..."

In the flickering light, Hakyeon could see the wounds. The bruises, the cuts, and the welts that Hongbin had acquired in the battle earlier that day. 

"It's okay, Your Grace," Hongbin sighed. "They do not hurt."

Hakyeon sat up. His face was level with Hongbin's chest. The bruises were awful colors--some were older, ones he got in earlier tournaments, others were newer and much larger. Hakyeon raised his hand to Hongbin's chest. He touched one of the bruises lightly. He heard Hongbin let out a breath of pain. Overcome, Hakyeon kissed the bruise he had touched. Then, he kissed the next, and the next. 

"Your Grace," Hongbin murmered, taking a step closer to Hakyeon. He was standing in between Hakyeon's legs, and he all he could think about was how he wanted to be so much closer.

"Hakyeon," the King murmured as he continued kissing all of Hongbin's injuries. He had made it to the right shoulder. "Call me...Hakyeon."

"Hakyeon..." Hongbin breathed as Hakyeon pulled Hongbin down slightly in order to begin his work on Hongbin's neck, a place that Hongbin knew had no injuries. "Hakyeon," he said again.

The king pulled Hongbin back down to the bed, his hands going to his pants.

Hours later, Hakyeon and Hongbin, tired and pleasured, lay together.

"Stop doing it," Hakyeon whispered.

"What?" Hongbin chuckled. "Stop sleeping with you?"

"No, stop fighting." Hakyeon spoke quietly, afraid of the reaction.

Hongbin shifted on the bed, lifting himself up n his elbow so he could look down on his king. "Why should I?"

"Because every time I see you in the arena, I worry that the last time we made love would be the last."

"Don't be," Hongbin sighed, stroking Hakyeon's face. "I'll always come back."

"I can make you a lord," Hakyeon nearly pleaded. "Give you land, a good house, a good living."

"I don't want any of that," Hongbin replied. "I just want you."

Hakyeon felt breathless again. "I will give you  _anything_...as long as you stop entering tournaments. Please?"

Hongbin sighed.


End file.
